And The Word Became Flesh. Breakfast with the Word Christmas Day
Breakfast with the Word On Christmas Day
Isaiah 52:7-10, Hebrews 1:1-6, John 1:1-18
And The Word Became Flesh
Today we celebrate a great mystery of the church. The mystery of the incarnation that God has become man. We are celebrating the birth of the salvation of mankind, today our salvation is born. The Word of God took our human nature to sanctify and save the human race, to divinise humanity.
The second reading of today captured it when it affirms that at various times in the past and many different ways, God spoke to us through Patriarchs, the prophets etc but now in our own time, God speaks to us directly through His Son. The Son of God takes flesh to redeem us from sin.
So, we are celebrating the greatest miracle ever, that God became flesh. This is the miracle of Christmas. The heart and soul of Christmas is that the “Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” It is the greatest, ever mysterious, powerful, and miraculous story ever told. There is so much joy resounding through the ends of the earth. So be joyful today and celebrate!! Merry Christmas to you!!
Past Reflection on Christmas
God has become Man for man. Breakfast with the Word Christmas Day
And The Word was made Flesh
The first chapter of the gospel of saint John provides us with a very beautiful line that captures the mystery of the incarnation. John says that in the beginning was the Word, The Word is with God from the beginning and that Word is God. Through Him, everything was created.
It means that everything that came to be came through the Word of God. Then in verse 14, John says that the Divine Word took flesh and now dwells among us.
It now means that the Word is not just a sentence, a sound and just a beautiful message but a Person, a Divine Personality, who became like one with us. He is no other person than Our Lord Jesus Christ.
This single line is what we are celebrating today. This is a high expression of love and care. God chose to be human, to take our humanity.
He does not just appear human, rather He became human. That means God has decided to step into our lives, He did not send a messenger or prophet, He came Himself.
He decides to take our pains and challenges. He decided not to come as an angel or King born in a palace but a baby born in poverty, born amid the neglect of a special place but chose to be born in a manger, revealing from ab initio, his intention of taking our nature.
He chose to dwell with us, to understand and feel our lack and difficulties. So, at Christmas, we celebrate God’s love, who wishes to be with us in our suffering.
Therefore, before you lose faith in God, understand that you are trying to abandon someone who truly loves you.
God is Not far Away.
In the times of challenges and problems many feel and think that God is very difficult to be gotten. Many people see Him as someone who is very far away from us.
The implication of the celebration of Christmas is that God is with us, as the name Emmanuel reveals. He is not far from you. God is not far away. We need to understand this mystery about Christmas.
God has come close to you, quit seeing Him as someone who is very far away from you. He no longer gives instructions from the heavens, he talks and speaks to your souls.
He understands your pains, your struggles and your tears. He feels your wounds because He is also sharing your truth. Open up to Him and accept Him into your life.
God understands you now better because God has lived as one of us. His mercy now endures, giving us a lot of second chances.
So, what we are celebrating today is the availability of God’s mercy and love, given to us freely. Quit seeing yourself as cursed or unforgivable, what God wants is your acceptance and cooperation. He is not far away. He is near.
A Light that Shines In the Darkness.
The Gospel today says that the Word is a “light that shines in the darkness, a light that darkness could never overcome.
Therefore, today, we are reminded that the source of Victory over evil and darkness is here with us. He is victory assured because darkness will never and could never overpower His presence.
We have a reason to celebrate because today, God gave us the source of victory over kingdoms of darkness, over the temptations and power of Sin.
So, Christmas is the day the True and Powerful Light entered the world to illuminate the world.
Remember, in the beginning of creation,darkness filled the whole of the earth, God says let there be light. In essence, light will always dispel darkness.
The presence of Jesus in our lives, families and different places of work, is also the absence of evil.The presence of evil is indicating that Christ is yet to dwell.
Anybody who willingly accepts Him totally and follows Him will be transformed. He will become a light for others.
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So, this does not negate the absence of darkness.But that with the presence of the Light, darkness can never win. Your failures, mistakes of the past, pains, sufferings, challenges are not there to win you. The light always wins. It might not be immediately but gently and gradually, it will.
Christmas Brings Grace in Abundance.
In the gospel, John says that “indeed from His fullness, we have received grace upon grace. Since the law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ” While the Israelites were following only the law, they continue to fall short of God’s presence, but Christmas brings grace upon grace.
It means that God knows and understands our suffering and weaknesses. He loves us even though we continue to fall short of His glory, unlike in the Old Testament that would have been accompanied by a lot of punishments.
Christmas changes the story. It is now grace upon grace. This is God’s gift of love, forgiveness, new life, and help even when we do not deserve them because of our mistakes. Do you now see the reason today calls for a huge celebration. God’s strict standards in the Old Testament, are now overruled by His love.
An encounter with Jesus Christ is an encounter with Grace. The secret of Abundance of Grace is Jesus Christ. Always approach Him in the Blessed Sacrament.
We Become Children of God;
This is the most exciting part! John writes: “But to all who did accept him he gave power to become children of God.”
Because God became human, we are given the power to become divine! The baby in the manger didn’t just come to make us better people; He came to make us new creations and actual children of the Father.
Conclusion.
1.The first important lesson I would like you to understand and know about today is that God is not against you. There are many today who see themselves as cursed, forgotten and full of bad luck.
They believe that whatever they do works against them. So, we need to be reminded about the transforming message of Christmas.
Christmas means that God is with us and never against us. In fact He is never distant. God is near and not far away. He loves us so much.
Quit condemning yourself, There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rather, we experience an abundance of love and graces.
This does not negate times of challenges but assurance of God’s presence and grace in the times of those challenges. That is why Christmas is good news for the poor, the tired, the sinner, and the broken.
2.I was really struck by what Saint John said in the gospel. He says about Jesus that “He came to his own, and his own people did not accept him.” He came to save His people, yet His own people did not accept Him.
This is actually what is happening today. People are abandoning the truth, the love and grace of God to embrace evil, forgetting that they will still return to the one whom they have abandoned.
Jesus Christ never forces His way into our lives and hearts. He allows us to make our choices. A lot of people who are losing faith today, abandoning their relationship with God are actually fulfilling this promise. Let us open our hearts to Him.
Let us understand that God loves us and wants more of our relationship but sometimes we deny Him entry.
He warns us not to do something, telling us the consequences that might come. He continues to warn and talk to us in our hearts yet we harden our hearts. And when the consequences come, we still fall back to blame Him.
He promised us that “To all who accepted him, he gave power to become children of God.” Yet we continue to show lack of interest in the things of God.
3.Jesus is the light that no darkness can overcome. Wherever light is, darkness can never win. If you want a change anywhere, be a light there.
Let us make a decision to be the light in the life of others, in the life of communities and people ravaged by problems and persecutions. How can you show the light of Christ to others? It is not about giving a lecture; it is about giving a gift of love.
Visit the forgotten, the sick and abandoned.Send an encouraging message to someone who is struggling. Serve others, the church and those who lack helpers. Offer to help a busy parent, a friend who is ill, or volunteer at a local church.
In fact, be Light in your own home. Choose patience over anger, forgiveness over holding a grudge.
When people see your actions, they should be able to sense the light of Christ living in you. This Christmas should be a time to make peace, and not a time to continue causing trouble.
4.The Gospel reminds us: that “from his fullness we have, all of us, received grace upon grace.” This means that God’s supply of grace and love is endless.
Therefore, don’t just give gifts this Christmas; make sure you receive the greatest gift of all: Jesus Christ. Do not celebrate immorality this time. It is a time to receive divine transformation.
Go to Confession, spend time in Adoration, or simply kneel down and thank God for the power to be His child. Stop trying to earn God’s love and simply receive the fullness of His grace.His grace is abundant.
5.Finally, let us live out Christmas. Here is how we live out “The Word became flesh”: So the simple Christmas guide is “FLESH”
- F — Forgive someone you are holding anger against
- L — Love someone who is difficult to love
- E — Enter the pain of others with compassion
- S — Serve quietly, without seeking praise
- H — Hope again, even if life has been hard
When we do these, the Word becomes flesh again in us.
Therefore, God is not far. God is not silent. God is not cold. God became flesh.
God lived among us. God is still with us.May this Christmas not only be celebrated, but may it be lived. May the power of God manifest in your life this season.Amen.
